The New England Patriots moved one step closer to a first-round bye in playoffs. The Tennessee Titans’ future is very much in doubt.

Tom Brady threw for two touchdowns to help the Patriots hold onto the top spot in the AFC, beating Tennessee 33-16 on Sunday and knocking Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota out with a knee injury in the first half.

The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mariota left the game and did not return after being sacked to stop consecutive second-quarter possessions.

Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 267 yards for New England (12-2). James White caught seven passes for 71 yards, including a 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown, and Keshawn Martin added a 75-yard kickoff return to set up another score.

Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard score, and Akiem Hicks fell on the ball in the end zone after Jamie Collins’ strip-sacked Mariota for New England’s other TD.

The rookie quarterback was sacked to end the next drive, too. Zach Mettenberger replaced him and completed 20 of 28 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns — both to Delanie Walker — and two interceptions.

Walker had a 7-yard catch in the third quarter and then a 57-yard rumble down the right sideline with 7 minutes left in the game. Ryan Succop missed the extra point, leaving Titans (3-11) with a 27-16 deficit.

But Brady led the Patriots to the Tennessee 23, and Stephen Gostkowski put one through off the upright to make it a two-touchdown game. After Collins intercepted Mettenberger and ran it back 51 yards to the Titans'16, Gostkowski added another field goal to clinch it.

Already mired in a lost season, with coach Ken Whisenhunt fired midway through the year, the Titans could lose the chance to continue grooming Mariota. The rookie quarterback had already missed two games this year with a left knee injury.

With much of the Week 15 action wrapped up, the league is getting closer and closer to knowing who will be playing for a chance at Super Bowl 50.

Having beaten the Giants and moved to 14-0, the Carolina Panthers are now just one win (or one loss by Arizona) away from securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Here’s how the rest of the playoff picture looks:

N.F.C.

In the N.F.C., the Cardinals, Packers, and Seahawks are all guaranteed playoff spots, and the Vikings moved a step closer with a win over Chicago.

The remaining drama in the conference, other than final seeding, centers on the N.F.C. East where the Giants’ loss broke up what had been a three-way tie for the division lead. The Redskins are at least temporarily in sole possession of the division lead after beating the Bills, but the Eagles could win the division with victories over the Redskins and Giants.

A.F.C.

In the A.F.C., the New England Patriots secured a first-round bye when Denver lost to Pittsburgh, a game that also knocked the Jets out of the second wild card spot in favor of the Steelers. The Cincinnati Bengals kept things going despite playing without Andy Dalton and the Houston Texans took control of the A.F.C. South.

Currently, the Patriots and Bengals are the only teams in the conference guaranteed a playoff spot, leaving far more room for changes in the final two weeks of the season than the N.F.C. has.

The most intriguing scenario would be for the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that started the season 1-5, to dethrone the Broncos in the A.F.C. West. The Broncos started the season 8-0 and have won the division in four consecutive seasons.

The Arizona Cardinals can check division champions off their to-do list.

David Johnson ran for 187 yards and three touchdowns, Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass and the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-17, on Sunday night to clinch the N.F.C. West title.

The Cardinals (12-2) will earn a first-round bye with a win over Green Bay next week. They still have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed if they win out and Carolina (14-0) loses its last two games.

The Eagles (6-8) would win the N.F.C. East title if they beat Washington (7-7) at home and the Giants (6-8) on the road.

But they’re not even close to Arizona’s level.

The Cardinals outclassed Philadelphia in every way on their way to their eighth straight win.

Palmer gave Cardinals fans a brief scare when he came out for one play after injuring his right index finger on a throw. But he returned to toss a 16-yard TD pass to John Brown and finished 20 of 32 for 274 yards.

Deone Bucannon returned Sam Bradford’s interception 39 yards for a touchdown to give Arizona a 37-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, sending fans to the exits. Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Bradford’s pass late in the fourth quarter and limped off the field. There was no immediate word on his injury.

—
Associated Press

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David Johnson disappears into a pile of bodies and reappears on the other side

David Johnson scored three touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 40-17 victory over the Eagles, including an incredible 47-yard rumble in which the rookie running back did an impersonation of a bowling ball (see above). Johnson, who finished the game with 187 yards rushing, is the first Cardinal with three rushing touchdowns in a game since Beanie Wells did it against the Lions in 2012.

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Green Bay Packers cornerback Quinten Rollins broke up a pass intended for the Raiders' Michael Crabtree in the first half.Credit
Ben Margot/Associated Press

With their playoff berth officially secured, the Green Bay Packers can turn their focus to bigger goals.

Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass and Damarious Randall returned an interception for another score to help the Packers beat the Oakland Raiders 30-20 on Sunday, after Green Bay clinched a franchise-record seventh straight playoff spot.

The Packers (10-4) clinched a spot in the postseason in the first quarter when the New York Giants lost to Carolina. But the Packers still have their eyes set on a division title and they remained one game ahead of Minnesota in the NFC North.

Derek Carr threw two early interceptions to put Oakland (6-8) in a hole but then had a pair of touchdown passes to Amari Cooper. It wasn’t enough as the Raiders were eliminated from playoff contention for the 13th straight season.

The highlight for the Raiders was rookie Cooper cracking the 1,000-yard milestone, as he caught six passes for 120 yards. He reached the mark on a 41-yard catch in the third quarter, becoming the first Oakland player with 1,000 yards receiving since Randy Moss in 2005. That was the longest current drought in the NFL.

The rest of the accolades went to the Packers, who got 2 ½ sacks from Julius Peppers to win their third straight game following a midseason slump.

Carr threw two interceptions in the first quarter to set up Green Bay touchdowns. Micah Hyde’s interception set up the Packers at the 18 and John Kuhn ran it in from the 5 for the first score.

Carr’s next pass was high to Seth Roberts and Randall returned it 43 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-0.

—
Associated Press

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton reached for a touchdown in the second half against the Denver Broncos.Credit
Don Wright/Associated Press

In a game with a second half that had a far different tone than the first, Brock Osweiler showed both what he is capable of and also what his limitations are as an N.F.L. quarterback. After storming to an early lead, the Broncos fell flat in the second half and the Pittsburgh Steelers scored 24 unanswered points to win, 34-27.

In the first half it was as if Osweiler could do no wrong. He had three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown while leading the Broncos to a 27-13 lead. But in the second half he suddenly could not finish drives, and a fourth quarter interception directly led to a game-winning drive by the Steelers.

Osweiler was starting his fifth game in place of Peyton Manning, and his performance last week — when he failed to score a touchdown despite throwing for 300 yards — had some questioning if it was time to go back to Manning.

He seemed to be answering those critics with his performance early today, but then reverted back to his form from a week ago in a second half where he accounted for just 82 passing yards. Denver’s second-half drives ended in six consecutive punts before Osweiler’s crippling interception gave Pittsburgh a short field to work with. Ben Roethlisberger needed just three plays to complete a drive that gave the Steelers the win.

The Broncos got two more possessions, but turned the ball over on downs each time, letting the Steelers run out the clock.

“Until I see the tape I won’t know what happened in the second half,” a subdued Osweiler told reporters after the game. “Obviously needs to be better.”

The tough second half by Denver overshadowed a fantastic duel between former teammates Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Sanders, who played for Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2013, finished the game with 10 catches and a career-high 181 receiving yards. He was outplayed by Brown, who finished the day with 16 catches for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh came into the game as one of the hottest offenses in football, but despite throwing for 194 yards in the first half, Roethlisberger did not have a touchdown. In the second half, the team looked more comfortable against the tough Denver defense, and Roethlisberger ended up completing 40 of 55 passes for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Denver is now 3-2 with Osweiler starting and at 10-4 over all, they have yet to clinch the A.F.C. West title.

—
Benjamin Hoffman

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Doug Baldwin scored two touchdowns for the Seahawks in the first half against the Browns.Credit
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver scored his second touchdown of the game in the early part of the second quarter of his team’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns. It was his fourth consecutive game with two or more receiving touchdowns, and he has 10 overall during the streak. The touchdowns helped Seattle build an early lead in an eventual 30-13 victory.

Baldwin, whose previous career-high in touchdown receptions for a season was five, has now tied Calvin Johnson and Cris Carter for the longest streaks of games with two or more receiving touchdowns since 1960 according to ProFootballReference.com. Johnson accomplished the feat in 2011 and Carter did it in 1995.

Prior to the streak, Baldwin had just three receiving touchdowns this season, but he and Russell Wilson have found an incredible rhythm. On top of the scoring plays, Baldwin has 21 catches for 366 yards during the streak. His 13 touchdown catches have him tied with Odell Beckham Jr. of the Giants and Allen Robinson of the Jaguars for the N.F.L. lead.

Baldwin’s amazing streak has been part of a record-setting run by Wilson, who today became the first quarterback in N.F.L. history to throw three or more touchdowns and no interceptions in five consecutive games. Even without accounting for interceptions, Wilson is just the eighth quarterback to have three or more touchdowns in five straight games. He is five short of the record of 10 set by Tom Brady of the New England Patriots in 2007.

With five consecutive wins, Seattle has erased the memory of a rough start to the season and with a playoff berth secured they have to be considered among the favorites in the N.F.C.

Jeremy Hill ran for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns to back AJ McCarron’s first career start, and the patchwork Cincinnati Bengals clinched a fifth straight postseason berth by beating the San Francisco 49ers 24-14 on Sunday.

As Andy Dalton watched from the sideline with a large cast over his broken right thumb, McCarron threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft just before halftime as the Bengals (11-3) forced three second-quarter turnovers by San Francisco (4-10) to take command.

Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones each made interceptions on balls that deflected off the hands of tight end Vance McDonald. Cincinnati capitalized with touchdowns on two of the turnovers, including Kroft’s TD catch one play and five seconds after the second pick.

If all goes as planned, the Bengals will return to the Bay Area for the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium.

—
Associated Press

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New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman scuffled many times during the first half.Credit
Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Odell Beckham Jr. wowed fans last year as he compiled a record-setting rookie season despite having missed the off-season and the first four games of the regular season with a hamstring injury. Appreciation for his brilliance increased as his speed, elusiveness and penchant for photogenic one-handed grabs allowed him to stitch together six consecutive 100-yard receiving games, two shy of the N.F.L. record set by Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions in 2012.

But after Beckham became frustrated early in Sunday’s game against the undefeated Carolina Panthers, he unveiled a darker side of his personality that most likely disturbed some fans and led several members of the Panthers to call for the league to suspend him.

Carolina cornerback Josh Norman, whose suffocating coverage appeared to cause Beckham to unravel, was among those who appealed to the league to discipline Beckham after the Panthers escaped with a 38-35 victory at MetLife Stadium that kept their perfect run intact at 14-0.

“When they put it on film and the league office takes a real look at it, we’ll see what they can do, because players like that don’t belong in the game,” Norman said. “I mean, it’s ridiculous. I understand you want to play, but let’s play within the confines of the league rules. Don’t do all that extra stuff. I know you get a little rattled. That’s cool. But if that’s not your game, don’t play somebody else’s game. You’re not going to win.”

Norman continued: “The guy took a shot at me I don’t know how many times. To take a shot at a guy’s head, I mean, come on now. That’s kind of going a little bit too far.”

Beckham’s frustration grew visibly when he was held without a first-half catch for the first time in his career. He dropped two passes, one on a fly pattern that almost certainly would have resulted in a touchdown on the Giants’ opening series.

With Carolina holding a 21-7 halftime advantage, Norman, a fifth-round draft choice who has blossomed into perhaps the league’s finest cornerback in his fourth season, became more conscious of guarding against the deep ball. Beckham made six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, ending his bid for Johnson’s mark. His biggest play occurred when he got half a step on Norman — his adversary accused him of pushing off — and made a 14-yard grab in the left corner of the end zone with 1 minute 46 seconds left to cap the Giants’ comeback from a 35-7 hole to even the score at 35-35.

Perhaps the ugliest moment during what Carolina Coach Ron Rivera called “a very crazy football game” was when Beckham launched himself at Norman’s head.

In all, Beckham was charged with three personal fouls. Although he expressed regret, he suggested that he had not been the aggressor.

“You never want to hurt your team like that,” he said. “I have learned it all throughout my life, you know, always the second man gets called.”

JOSH NORMAN, the Carolina Panthers cornerback, discussing Odell Beckham Jr.’s behavior during the Giants’ 38-35 loss to the Panthers. Beckham repeatedly punched and tackled Panthers players after plays. He was only penalized three times, but may face a fine or suspension when the N.F.L. reviews the game.

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Jabaal Sheard of the New England Patriots sacked Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger, causing a fumble in the first half.Credit
Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The New England Patriots moved one step closer to a first-round bye in playoffs. The Tennessee Titans’ future is very much in doubt.

Tom Brady threw for two touchdowns to help the Patriots hold onto the top spot in the AFC, beating Tennessee 33-16 on Sunday and knocking Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota out with a knee injury in the first half.

The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, Mariota left the game and did not return after being sacked to stop consecutive second-quarter possessions.

Brady completed 23 of 35 passes for 267 yards for New England (12-2). James White caught seven passes for 71 yards, including a 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown, and Keshawn Martin added a 75-yard kickoff return to set up another score.

Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard score, and Akiem Hicks fell on the ball in the end zone after Jamie Collins’ strip-sacked Mariota for New England’s other TD.

The rookie quarterback was sacked to end the next drive, too. Zach Mettenberger replaced him and completed 20 of 28 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns — both to Delanie Walker — and two interceptions.

Walker had a 7-yard catch in the third quarter and then a 57-yard rumble down the right sideline with 7 minutes left in the game. Ryan Succop missed the extra point, leaving Titans (3-11) with a 27-16 deficit.

But Brady led the Patriots to the Tennessee 23, and Stephen Gostkowski put one through off the upright to make it a two-touchdown game. After Collins intercepted Mettenberger and ran it back 51 yards to the Titans'16, Gostkowski added another field goal to clinch it.

Already mired in a lost season, with coach Ken Whisenhunt fired midway through the year, the Titans could lose the chance to continue grooming Mariota. The rookie quarterback had already missed two games this year with a left knee injury.

With the A.F.C. South lead on the line, the game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts ended up with the game in Brandon Weeden’s hands. The former Dallas backup might not inspire much confidence, but he did enough to lead the Texans to a 16-10 victory.

Weeden replaced T.J. Yates, who came out after a knee injury, in a game that was close all day. In the fourth quarter, he led a 90-yard touchdown drive that gave Houston its first lead of the game. His 8-yard pass to Jaelen Strong made Weeden the fifth Texans player to throw a touchdown pass this season (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Yates and Cecil Shorts were the others.)

On the 10-play go-ahead drive, Weeden completed 4 of 6 passes, and the Texans were aided mightily by a 22-yard pass interference call.

Weeden finished the game 11 of 18 for 105 yards and 1 touchdown. Earlier this season, he had performed well in relief for the Dallas Cowboys when Tony Romo broke his collarbone, but then went 0-3 as a starter, lost his job to Matt Cassel and was released.

“He’s a pro, he acts like a pro, he carries himself like a pro, he is a pro,” Coach Bill O'Brien told reporters after the game. “Look, I’m not sure he has the whole offense down pat, but I think he has enough that he can go in there and function.”

With two games remaining in the season, the Texans now appear to have the inside track to a division title. They play the Tennessee Titans next week and the question will be who plays quarterback for Houston: Yates, Weeden or Hoyer.

—
Benjamin Hoffman

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, left, celebrated a touchdown with Zach Line during the second half.Credit
Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Teddy Bridgewater threw a career-high four touchdowns and ran for another one, and the Minnesota Vikings took a significant step toward clinching a spot in the playoffs with a 38-17 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bears.

Bridgewater completed 17 of 20 passes for 231 yards without a turnover, connecting twice with Stefon Diggs for scores. Jerick McKinnon and Zach Line had the other touchdown catches on a remarkably productive afternoon for all of Minnesota’s running backs.

Adrian Peterson missed some time because of an injury to his left ankle, but he still finished with 63 yards on 18 attempts to maintain his NFL rushing lead. The Vikings (9-5) stopped their two-game losing streak. They turned a lost fumble and an interception thrown by Jay Cutler into 14 second-half points.

DAN QUINN, the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 23-17. The Falcons started the season 5-0, but came into the game in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Their record is now 7-7.

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Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins scored on a 13-yard run in the first half on Sunday.Credit
Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

With reports emerging that Kirk Cousins might be working on a contract extension, the Washington Redskins quarterback did a good job today of showing why his team has plenty of confidence in him. His performance in his team’s 35-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills gave the Redskins consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Once considered a stop-gap solution while the team waited for Robert Griffin III to be healthy, Cousins has been on a roll in recent weeks. He kept that going this week, fending off a Buffalo comeback in the second half.

Taking advantage of a disappointing Buffalo defense, Cousins completed 22 of 28 passes for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns. He even did damage with his legs, running in a 13-yard touchdown, which was his fifth of the season. In 14 career games prior to this season, he had never scored a rushing touchdown.

Fans repeatedly chanted “You like that!” during the game in reference to Cousins having been recorded saying that while running to the locker room after a comeback victory earlier this season. The noise made it hard for the team to hear things on the sideline.

“I had to turn my headsets up a little bit,” Coach Jay Gruden told reporters after the game. “I couldn’t hear play calls and all that stuff.”

This type of performance is becoming standard fare for Cousins, who had a passer rating of 100 or above in five of his previous seven games prior to today, with a record of 4-3 to show for it.

“He’s definitely gotten better,” Trent Williams, Washington’s left tackle, told reporters after the game. “We had faith in him the whole time. But he continues to grow and he’s playing lights-out.”

Washington came into the week tied with the Eagles and Giants for first place in the N.F.C. East and the team appears to have a solid chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2012. It was during that year’s wild card loss to Seattle that Griffin’s knee was obliterated. The injury altered the course of what seemed like a potentially-incredible career. Cousins relieved Griffin that day, and their battle for the starting job seems to have finally come to an end with Cousins having won.

With the loss, Buffalo has been eliminated from the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season.

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Side judge Michael Banks had to separate the Panthers' Josh Norman and the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. after the two scuffled in the second half.Credit
Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Trailing by 28 points early in the third quarter of their game Sunday with the Carolina Panthers, and seemingly unraveling emotionally, the Giants suddenly and shockingly stormed back to tie the game in the final two minutes.

The game-tying drive featured a pivotal 40-yard pass reception by Odell Beckham Jr. Later, on a fourth-down play, Manning was under pressure in the pocket but lofted a precise pass to the back left corner of the end zone. Beckham ran under the ball and made a diving catch for a 14-yard touchdown that tied the score, 35-35, with 1 minute 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

But like so many Giants games this season, their defense could not keep the opposition from moving into position for a late, game-winning score. Three pass completions by Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and two Newton scrambles quickly set up a 43-yard field goal by Panthers place-kicker Graham Gano as time expired.

The Panthers’ 38-35 victory keeps them undefeated through 14 games. The Giants (6-8) dwindling playoff hopes now grow more dim.

Three plays into Sunday’s game, Odell Beckham Jr. seemed poised to put his stamp on the afternoon. He was wide open just yards from the end zone with a perfect Eli Manning spiral heading his way. Beckham got both hands on the football — then dropped it.

It would be too easy to say that it was all downhill for the Giants after that, and it was until the Giants furious late-game comeback.

Most of the game had seemed like a telling exhibition of why the Giants have spent much of the year with a losing record and Carolina had won its first 13 games. Despite the pressure of a long winning streak, Carolina displayed aplomb and precision. Desperate to stay in the playoff hunt, the Giants lacked poise, committed costly penalties and made repeated mistakes.

Beckham spent much of the game in hand-to-hand combat with Carolina’s top cornerback, Josh Norman.

Maybe it was his early misplay of the near certain touchdown pass, but Beckham seemed in a particularly foul mood for most of the game. Norman was frequently covering Beckham and the attention clearly unnerved Beckham, who was whistled for multiple penalties. Beckham received a penalty for striking Norman in the head during a running play and then for a helmet-to-helmet collision with Norman at the end of another play.

Beckham did not catch a pass in a first half that ended with the Panthers leading, 21-7.

Carolina opened the second half with an efficient, seven-play drive that ended with Newton throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Corey Brown. A 14-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Ted Ginn Jr. made the Panthers lead 35-7.

But that is when the Giants mounted their comeback. At the conclusion of a 13-play drive, Giants tight end Will Tye caught an 8-yard touchdown pass.

A 38-yard touchdown run by Rashad Jennings early in the fourth quarter cut the Panthers lead to 35-21.

Suddenly, anything seemed possible.

But Carolina mounted a long drive and then lined up for a 34-yard field goal. The kick was blocked by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. That, however, led only to a Eli Manning interception in the end zone.

But on their next drive, Newton fumbled deep in his own territory. Three plays later, Manning threw a screen pass to Shane Vereen, who bulled into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown that cut the Panthers lead to 35-28.

Three plays into Sunday’s game between the Giants and Carolina Panthers, Odell Beckham Jr. seemed poised to put his stamp on the afternoon. He was wide open just yards from the end zone with a perfect Eli Manning spiral heading his way. Beckham got both hands on the football. Then dropped it.

The mistake seemed to put Beckham in a bad mood. He spent most of the rest of the first half in hand-to-hand combat with Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, who was frequently covering and obviously unnerving Beckham, who was whistled for a penalty when he struck Norman in the head during a running play. Overall, Beckham seemed off his game as he did not catch a pass in the first half.

If the Giants are going to contend in the second half, Beckham has to get out of a fighting mode and back into a scoring touchdowns mode.

The Giants are also not going to beat an undefeated team by making repeated mistakes. And it is mistakes that have the Giants trailing 21-7 at the half. It’s because Beckham dropped one certain touchdown – and another pass in the first quarter as well. They are trailing because of costly penalties that thwarted drives and because of a fumble by running back Rashad Jennings that led to the Panthers second touchdown.

It may be that the Panthers are just a superior team but the Giants have no chance at an upset if they’re going to shoot themselves in the foot every few plays.

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Michael Floyd (15) scored a 42-yard touchdown during last week's game against the Vikings. Both Larry Fitzgerald, top, and Floyd are capable of scoring among the Cardinals' receivers.Credit
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Cardinals (11-2) at Eagles (6-7)

8:30 p.m. Line: Cardinals by 3 ½

A debate has emerged on whether this Cardinals team, which is one win from the franchise’s first 12-victory season, is the best in team history. But that is selling the 1948 Chicago Cardinals short, not to mention the 1925 and 1947 teams, which won N.F.L. championships.

Despite not winning a title, the 1948 team may have been the best. It won 11 games, like the current Cardinals, but in a 12-game regular season, its only loss coming against the crosstown Chicago Bears in the second game. Its average margin of victory was 14.1 points — this year’s is 11.8. The 1948 Cardinals reached the N.F.L. championship game, losing to the Eagles.

Ray Mallouf, Mal Kutner and Elmer Angsman led that 1948 team to an N.F.L.-leading 32.9 points per game, slightly more than the 31.2 points averaged by this year’s squad, with an aerial attack led by Carson Palmer.

A key for the Cardinals has been their depth. Larry Fitzgerald has been their leading receiver, but John Brown, Michael Floyd or J. J. Nelson can also deliver a huge catch. And with running backs Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington out with injuries, the rookie David Johnson has proved himself capable of being an every-down back.

The Eagles have played up to their competition in recent weeks, with wins against New England and Buffalo, but against a relentless Cardinals defense that is fourth in the N.F.L. in yards allowed per game and fifth against the rush, it is hard to see them coming away with a victory.

PICK: CARDINALS

Broncos (10-3) at Steelers (8-5)

4:25 p.m. Line: Steelers by 7

The Broncos continue to trudge along in what has to be among the most tumultuous 10-3 seasons in history. Their high-priced future Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning, was 7-2 as a starter even though, after missing four games, he continues to lead the league in interceptions by a wide margin. His backup, Brock Osweiler, is 3-1 but seemed almost incapable of finishing drives last week, with more than 300 passing yards but no touchdowns.

Denver has gotten away with subpar quarterbacking and an inconsistent rushing attack because of its impressive defense. That unit will have its hands full with a red-hot Pittsburgh offense that has scored 30 or more points in five consecutive games while averaging 494 yards of offense.

Though Manning has practiced, he is not quite ready to return, so Osweiler will start again. He is likely to put up plenty of yards against a Steelers defense that has been among the worst against the pass. But expecting him to keep up with his Pittsburgh counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, is asking too much.

PICK: STEELERS

Panthers (13-0) at Giants (6-7)

1 p.m. Line: Panthers by 5

When a team has a shutdown cornerback like Josh Norman of the Panthers, a lot of the attention ends up being focused on the other side of the field. That looked as if it would be an issue this week, with Bene Benwikere, who had been manning the No. 2 corner spot, breaking his leg against Atlanta. The options to replace Benwikere appeared limited until Charles Tillman, who had been out with a knee injury, practiced during the week and may be ready to reclaim his starting role.

On offense, quarterback Cam Newton has been impressive manufacturing offense with a ragtag group of wide receivers, but the Panthers will lose some flexibility with running back Jonathan Stewart out with a foot injury. It could be even worse for Carolina if tight end Greg Olsen is limited by a knee injury he aggravated last week.

The Giants beat the 13-0 Broncos in 1998 and the 18-0 Patriots in the February 2008 Super Bowl, and they may be poised to take down another unbeaten this weekend.

PICK: GIANTS

Bills (6-7) at Redskins (6-7)

1 p.m. Line: Even

Last season, the Bills had the defense no one wanted to play against. It led the N.F.L. with 54 sacks, was sixth in interceptions and was tied for 10th in fumble recoveries. Led by Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes, the team added Coach Rex Ryan, a defensive specialist, and was expected to get even better.

But through 13 games, the Bills have 19 sacks, ranking 30th in the N.F.L. They are also 13th in total yards allowed per game.

“Literally I can count — this will be my first time that I’ve ever been considered maybe the weakness of the team, the way I coach defense,” Ryan told reporters. “But we haven’t been up to what we anticipated, any of us, fan base, myself, players, everybody.”

Needing to win the rest of their games to have a realistic chance at the playoffs, the Bills this week will have to contend with Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has had a passer rating higher than 100 in five of the last seven weeks (including a perfect 158.3 in Week 10) and has his team tied for first place in the N.F.C. East. The Redskins have not won consecutive games since Weeks 7 and 8 last season, but that streak should end Sunday.

PICK: REDSKINS

Packers (9-4) at Raiders (6-7)

4:05 p.m. Line: Packers by 3

The Raiders have held opposing teams to fewer than 100 yards rushing in eight of their last 11 games, but in two of the other three they were burned for a combined 495 yards on the ground, by Pittsburgh and Minnesota.

Oakland could be in for another long day against Packers running back Eddie Lacy, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his last four games and looked comfortable last week with Coach Mike McCarthy calling the plays again.

With quarterback Aaron Rodgers having a rough season by his standards, and Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack having emerged as one of the most terrifying pass rushers in the game, it may come down to Lacy and James Starks running Green Bay to a road win. But the dynamic duo is up to the task.

PICK: PACKERS

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Jets wide receivers Brandon Marshall, left, and Eric Decker after Decker’s 3-yard reception gave the Jets a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter.Credit
Tom Pennington/Getty Images

To the rest of the league, Bowles presumably meant — not to themselves or to the welfare of their fans. Because on Saturday night, the Jets engaged in what has become a favorite pastime of theirs.

They sputter. They fizzle. They flail.

They win.

Minutes after rescuing the Jets yet again, guiding the late comeback that keyed a 19-16 victory against Dallas that preserved their playoff hopes, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick gripped the lectern in the visiting room at AT&T Stadium. He wore his full uniform and a gash across the bridge of his nose that he fully expects will frighten his children when they see him on Sunday.

No stitches necessary, he said. Just a little glue.

“Everybody kept telling me I looked ugly,” Fitzpatrick said.

He leaves the modeling to Eric Decker and concerns himself with more consequential details.

Like listening to receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who in the first half told Fitzpatrick to watch for him again if the Cowboys deployed a certain Cover 2 look — then caught an inch-perfect 43-yard pass that led to Randy Bullock’s game-winning 40-yarder field goal with 36 seconds left.

Or refining the pocket awareness that allowed him to escape pressure on a third-and-14 from the Dallas 27-yard line and connect with Quincy Enunwa for 24 yards on a pass Fitzpatrick called horrible. Two plays later, Fitzpatrick found Decker for a go-ahead touchdown.

Even by winning, and for the fourth consecutive week, it has not all come together for the Jets. Not on a night when they committed seven first-half penalties, missed an extra point and a field goal, shanked a punt, struggled on third down, bungled a fourth-and-1 from the Dallas 3.

And yet, they are already dangerous.

Dangerous because the two biggest plays in the game were made not by the Jets’ star receivers — Decker and Brandon Marshall — but their backups. Dangerous because Fitzpatrick flourishes in the fourth quarter, completing 10 of 12 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown — this two weeks after stunning the Giants. Dangerous because the Jets expect to win, regardless of the circumstances, and then they do.

“We’re developing a way to win games,” said Fitzpatrick, who finished 26 0f 39 for 299 yards. “We’re developing that strength, that confidence.”

That confidence will sustain them another week, before they host division champion New England in a game critical to their postseason chances. Even if the Jets (9-5) win their final two games, they are not guaranteed of making the playoffs.